Buttonhole-sewing machine.



G. S. HILL.

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Q0121, 1912.

Patel lted Feb. 24,1914L 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

5.9 wfb'ii zesses' G. S. HILL.

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.21,1912.

PatentedFeb. 24, 1914.

irn s'rs Arnr men.

GEORGE S. HILL, OF STRAFFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OLE NEW JERSEY.

BUTTONHOLE-SEWING MACHINE;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

Continuation of application Serial No. 676,767, filed February 10, 1912. This application filed October 21,

1912. Serial No. 726,944.

To all when). it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoncn S. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Strafl'ord, in the county of Stralford and State. of New Hampshire, have invented.

certain new and useful Improvements in Bllttonholesewing Machine; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to buttonholesewing machines, and more particularly to the stitch forming mechanism by which over edge stitches are formed about the edge of the buttonhole.

Machines of the type to which the invention relates are provided with upper and under needles and with a looper which takes a loop of thread from the upper neeedle and holds it in position for the passage of the under needle there through.

The object of the invention is to rovide' a looper mechanism having a novel. and improved construction whereby it is rendered more certain and reliable in action and whereby the speed of the stitch forming devices may be increased.

Vith this object in View. the invention consists in the features of the construction scribed and referred to in the claims.

The invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the mechanism illustrated therein.

ln'the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing a part of a buttonhole sewing machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a detail plan view showing the under thread handling devices and the turret in which they are carried, certain parts mounted on the turret being removed to more clearly show the parts beneath them; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a detail plan View of the under thread handling devices; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation showing the Work-carrier and under thread handling devices.

' Inthe machine illustrated in the drawings,

the Work is carried in a work-clamp which is moved longitudinally and laterally during the sewing of the buttonhole, and the stitch forming mechanism is rotated through a complete revolution during the sewing of each buttonhole so that the stitches are properly positioned about the end and along the sides of the buttonhole.

The work carrying devices comprise a carrier frame 1 supported in suitableguideways in the frame of the machine and carry-.

12 secured on the front end of the cutter lever 8 and operated by a cam 13 which is earned by a cam gear lland is arranged to engage the rear end of the cutter lever.

When the cutter lever is operated to cut the material, as indicated in Fig. 1, it closes the work-clamping jaws and they are then latched in position by a latch pin 15 carried by the rock shaft 7 and arranged to engage a stop shoulder 16. The latching pin is released to allow the work-clamp to open when the clamp is returned to cutting position after the sewing of the buttonhole by a releasing pin 17 arranged to engage the latching pin and provided at its upper end with a V-shaped head. The head of thereleasing pin is arranged to engage a cam 18 so mounted on the frame that it mayyield to allow the passage of the pin during the forward movement of the work-clamp and will project in position to depress the pin during the return movement of the workclamp. 1

The work-carrier frame 1 is provided near its center wit-h a fulcrum stud 19 engaging a block 20 which is guided in a longitudinal slot 21 in the machine frame. The upper end of the fulcrum stud 1, fries a roll engaging a cam groove in till; under face of the gear 1a which is shaped to give the desired longitudinal movement to the carrier during the sewing of the buttonhole. The proper lateral movements are imparted to the clamp carrier during sewing of the buttonhole by devices operating upon the rear end of the carrier which are not illus trated.

The stitch forming mechanism comprises a. straight eye pointed upper needle 22 which I is arranged to pass through the work at; a

certain distance from the edge of the button.- hole, a curved eye pointed under needle 23 arranged to pass through the buttonhole slit, and a looper 24 for taking a. loop of thread from the upper needle and passing it over the end of the under needle when it is in its During the sewing operation, the under needle is advanced through the loop of upper needle thread held by the looper and after it has reached its upper or advanced position it is slightly retracted or dipped to form a loop' through which the upper needle passes in its descent and then the un der needle is returned to its retracted position. In order that the stitch forming mechanism may be rotated in forming the stitches about the eye and across the end of the buttonhole, the upper needle is eccentrically mounted in the rotary and reciprocating needle bar 25, and the under thread handling devices are mounted in a rotary turret 26. The mechanism for rotating the turret and needle bar may be of any suitable construction, and is not illustrated The under needle 23 is secured in a needle carrying arm 27 mounted on an inclined stud 28 which is secured in a lug 29 on the upper edge of the turret. The needle carrying arm 18 reciprocated by an arm 30 projecting upward from the sleeve 31 which is mounted to turn about a stud 32 supported on the turret. The connection between the needle carrying arm 27 and actuator arm 30 3 of the roll along the slot as the actuator arm moves forward, advances the underneedle from its retracted position to its advance position, and then slightly retracts or dips the needle to form a loop through which the upper needle may pass, as indicated in Fig. 3. The actuator arm is oscillated during the formation of each stitch through the arm 35 projecting from the sleeve 31 and connected by a link 36 with suitable actuating mechanism. The under thread 5 leads from the eye of the under needle through a second eye or guide 37 in the needle, through a guide-eye 38 on the needle carrying arm, thence through a fixed guide 39 on the turret, through a tension-4O on the turret and thence through the hollow link 3%. The stay thread or cord s leads through the guide in the throat plate through suitable guides on the turret, and thence through the hollow link 36.

The upper needle thread leads from the eye of the needle through a light tension ll on the lower end of the needle bar, then up through the needle bar which is made hollow for the passage of the thread. The relative movement between the work and the sewing mechanism is such that the direction of the feed of the work away from the stitch forming mechanism is that indicated bythe arrow in Fig, l. The eye of the upper needle passes through the needle substantially in the line of feed and the upper thread is threaded through the needle in the direction of the feed so that the thread will draw freely through the eye during the sewing.

lVith the upper needle eye thus arranged and threaded, the upper thread will lead from the eye of the needle to the work on the side of the needle toward the direction of feed, and the devices for supporting and actuatingthe looper are so arranged that the point of the looper will pass on this side of the upper needle and take the thread between the eye of the needle and the work as the upper needle is retracted and will then move in the direction of the feed to carry the loop of thread thus taken from the upper needle into position over the end of the lower needle when the latter needle is in its retracted position. In the construction shown, the looper 24 is provided with a laterally projecting shank by which it is adjustably secured in one end of the looper arm d2. By this adjustment, the looper may be moved substantially in the line of the feed so that it is brought-into proper relation to-the upper needle. The looper arm is mounted upon a vertical pivot 43 carried by the'end of a horizontal supporting arm- 44. The arm 44; is secured to the upper end of the vertical rock shaft 45 which is mounted in the turret and is provided at its lower end with a radially projecting arm 46. The arm idis connected by a link 47 with an arm 48 depending from the rock sleeve 31 which carries the needle actuating arm 30. The

sleeve and its projecting arms form a three arm lever through-which the under needle and looper are actuated. hen the sleeve is rocked to retract the under needle, the vertical'sha ft 4:5 is turned to swing the arm 44 and looper carrying arm l2 in a direction to carry the point of the looper transversely of the line of feed across the front side of the upper needle, i. e. the side away from I which the completed seam moves during the of the direction of feed. As the looper arm is thus moved bodily in its horizontal plane,

the looper arm and the other end of which is pivoted on. a stud secured on the turret. The fixed axis about which the link turns is s arranged with relation to the axis about which the looper carrying arm 44 swings that the pivot 43 of the looper arm moves tow-1rd the line connecting the axes as the looper travels past the upper needle, and the link is so PI'OPOItlOHOCl and so connected with the looper arm that the looper is given acomparatively quick movement in the direction oi the feed as it completes its movement transversely of the feed so that the loop taken by the looper from the upper needle is moved into position for the passage of the under needle there through, when it is advanced. This construction and the ar rangement of the looper supportingand ac tuating devices enables the looper to be maintained under positive control and to be actuated at a high rate of speed without strain or undue friction and wear upon the operating parts, and at the same time en-' ables the point of the looper to be given the proper path of movement to take the loop of upper needle thread from the front slde of the needle.

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential except as far as it is specified in the claims, and may be varied and modified without departing from the broader features of the invention.

Having hus described the nature and object of the invention and specifically described one form of mechanism in which it may be embodied, what I claim is 1. A buttonhole sewing machine having, in combination, an upper needle having its eye passing through it in the direction of the line of feed, an under needlc,a looper, a looper arm, means for moving the looper arm in a horizontal .plane transversely of the direction of feed to carry the point of r the looper past the side ofthe upper needle which is toward the seam, and means for swinging the looper arm about a vertical axis to carry the loop taken by the looper from the upper-needle in the direction of feed over the point of the under needle, and a movable support on which the under needle, looper and looper operating means are mounted.

2. A buttonhole sewing machine having, in combination, an upper needle having its eye passing through it in the direction of the line of feed, aii'under needle, a looper, a looper arm,a support for the looper arm,

means for moving the support in a horizontalplane transversely to the direction of the feed to carry the point of the looper past the side of the upper needle which is "tQ\V-fl,l'(l the seam, and means acting on the looper arm to swing it about a. vertical axis on the support to carry the loop taken from the upper needle in the direction of feed over the point of the under needle. 3. A buttonhole sewing machine having, in'cmnbination, an upper needle having its eye passing through it in the direction of the line of feed, an under needle, a looper 24, a looper arm 42, a horizontal 'arm 44 on which the looper arm is pivoted, a vertical rock shaft 45 for swinging the arm '44 transversely of the direction of the feed to carry the point of the looperpast the side of the upper needle which is towardthe scam, and means acting on the arm 42 to swing-the looper in the direction of the feedafter it has taken the loop from the front side of the upper needle.

4. A buttonhole sewing machine having,

in combination, an upper needlei an under needle, a looper arm 42, a, looper 24Tn1ounted on the arm for adjustment in the direction of feed, an arm 44 on which the looper arm is pivoted said arin being moiinted to swing about a vertical axis in a direction transverse to the direction of feed, and a link 49 for controlling the movement of looper arm about its pivot.

5. A buttonhole sewing machine having, in combination, an upper needle having its eye'passing through it in the direction of the line of feed, an. under needle, a looper arm mounted on a horizontally movable vertical pivot, a link having one end pivoted to the looper arm, and the other connected to turn about a fixed vertical axis, and means for controlling the path of movement of said movable vertical pivot to carry the pointof the p looper arm and to turn about a vertical axis and means for swinging the arm on which the looper arm is pivoted in a direction to carry the pivot of the looper arm toward the line joining said vertical axes during the loop-taker stroke'of the looper to oarry'the point of the looper across the side of the upper needle which is toward the seam.

7. A buttonhole sewing machine, having, in combination, an upper needle, a cooperating lower stitch forming mechanism comprising a needle carrier, 2. looper, a lever,

connections from the lever to actuate said carrier, independem connections from the lever to-actua'te the looper, a rotary turret on which the needle carrier, looper, lever and said connectians are mounted, and a hollow actuator through which the under thread leads 111011 ited on the turret and operated from the exterior of the turret for oscillating the le er.

8. A buttonhoe sewing machine, having, in combination, in upper needle, a cooperating lower stitc i forming mechanism comprising an under needle. carrier, 21 looper, a lever mount-ed ti oscillate about a horizontal axis, connections from the lever to actuate said carrier independent connections from the lever to actuate the looper comprising a vertical rock shaft oscillated from the lever and an arm on the rock shaft for actuating the looper, a movable support on which the needle carrier, looper, lever and connections are supported, and an actuator operated from the exterior of the support for oscillating the lever.

GEORGE S. HILL. Witnesses CHESTER E. Rooms, RUTH E. VVARD. 

